1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an environmental test apparatus for investigating the cause of damages exerted on cargos in the course of their distribution, as well as for research and development of countermeasures for preventing such damages. In particular, the invention relates to an environmental test apparatus capable of conducting an environmental test regarding, for example, transportation, storage or accumulation of cargos with no actual experience of such an environment but under simulated environmental conditions relevant thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, tests for cargo packages, marine equipments, transportation vessels and similar other matters have been conducted in accordance with predetermined standards on every individual environmental factors. They have been demonstrated by, for example, falling test, impact test, vibration test, heat resistance test and temperature resistance test.
For instance, in a case of transportation, although design criteria have been determined mainly on empirical rules according to each of the methods regarding railway transportation, marine transportation, overland transportation and air transportation, they are not related to each other. Accordingly, except for marine containers for which international standards are specified all the specifications for the package and packing of cargos, transportation vessels (such as containers) and transportation components (such as pallets) are determined at present based on the experience and at the risk of individual consignors who select and utilize transportation organs.
However, in the field of international transportation, combined and sequential way of transportation has become customary, and cargos are transported by utilizing a combination of several transportation organs including railways, load vehicles, marine vessels and aircrafts. Further, at a transit site between each of such transportation organs, cargos are generally put to temporal storage and accumulation.
Accordingly, it is necessary to test and demonstrate the effects of various environments exerted on the cargos by simulating actual environments with respect to their type and extent, thereby rationalizing the package or packing and attain resource-saving for package, packing, as well as for components for use in loading/unloading operation. However, no test apparatus capable of satisfying such a purpose are not present.
Further, although proposals have been made for new materials, new fabrication methods and new systems regarding the package, packing and loading/unloading component per se, the effects obtained by utilizing them can not but be estimated from the result of use in actual transportation and there is no effective means for previously evaluating the effects collectively on various environmental factors included in the combined and sequential transportation.
Referring to composite distribution, when a great quantity of cargos are actually transported and if abnormality or damage is found upon checking after arrival at a destination, a consignee informs a consignor, for example, the extent and kind of the damage. The consignor then investigates the content of the claim, improves the package and packing based on the empirical rule, and recovers the damages to cargos by his cargo insurance. An underwriter demands a carrying agency to pay a portion of the damage for which the agency is responsible and, finally, the carrying agency recovers the damage by his carrier-responsible insurance.
In the above-mentioned conventional method, since the countermeasure is taken after occurrence of the abnormality and damage, it is not possible to prevent, before hand, the occurrence of cargo abnormality and damage per se. In addition, since the loss ratio of the cargo insurance and the carrier insurance is worsened, there is a problem that the insurance rate is increased. Further, even if the consignor improves the package and packing based on the empirical rule, there is no reasonable assurance that other cargos damage does not occur again. Then, if the cargo damage should occur, countermeasures have to be taken over and over.
By the way, since cargos suffer from damages, with no exception, by environments that they encounter, scientific and accurate recognition is necessary for the effects of environmental conditions on the cargos in order to avoid such a vicious circle. This recognition enables to take necessary and sufficient countermeasures for preventing damages, as well as to determine package, packing, transportation container or the like suitable to the characteristics and the physical properties of the cargos. Further, it is also expected that this can save excessive use of damping materials, damping structures and packages, thereby improving the transportation and storage efficiency.